Elderly Prevention - Prohibit Case Study and Report of the San Jose Commission

Transcription

1 PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF OLDER PERSONS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SAN JOSE CHARTER A SOCIAL PROTECTION, INTERGENERATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND CARE Jennifer Rouse (Ph.D.) Director, Division of Ageing Ministry of the People and Social Development The First Follow-up Meeting of the San Jose Charter on the Rights of Older Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean held in San Jose, Costa Rica 3 5 July, 2013

2 Introduction T&T s older persons (i.e., aged 60 yrs and over) represent 13.4% or 177,000 of the total population, of which 9% are over 65 yrs (CSO, 2011) The elderly population is projected to be 17.7% in 2025 and expected to increase to 30.1% in 2050 Economic indicators reveal that institutional arrangements are untenable to bear this exponential growth rate of seniors A proactive approach is needed to address the challenge of population ageing Increasing number of nonagenarians & centenarians

3 Background Division of Ageing established in 2003 to focus ageing initiatives and raise public awareness/sensitization National Policy on Ageing launched in 2007 Elderly predisposed to frailty, infirmity & dependency due to biological, social & psychological ageing Older persons prime target to be victims of poverty, exclusion and marginalization & negative stereotyping More focused and integrated approach to manage ageing issues as elderly are fastest growing cohort Increase in number of elder abuse cases reported

4 Social Protection Wor ld Elder Abuse Awareness Day observed annually Senior Citizens Parliament held annually Public Forum/Human Rights for the Elderly of T&T Seminar Direct Deposit of pension established due to high crime rate Targeted Conditional Cash Transfer Programme National Insurance contr pension & Non-contr gov t pension Significant number of women could be left out of pension schemes due to over-representation in the informal sector Ageism and mandatory retirement age of yrs foster social exclusion trade unions collaborating with DOA More involvement of religious organizations to operate senior activity centres in rural areas

5 Intergenerational Solidarity International Day of Older Persons observed annually Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme Conversations between teenagers/older persons televised Mentorship programme with icons of art & culture Grandparents parenting in multigenerational families Retirement Planning Seminars for staff aged years Seniors Social Events Senior Games

6 Care Social welfare grants Age-friendly health centres established by Ministry of Health Homes for Older Persons legislation to control, monitor & regulate Homes and care facilities for the aged awaits proclamation Elderly & Differently-abled Mobile (ELDAMO) Shuttle Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP) Cataract Surgeries Reduction Programme (12) Priority areas of action outlined in the Ageing policy Due to increase in the nbr of single elderly women, assisted living facilities & adult daycare services to be established More partnerships to be established with religious bodies to operate senior activity centres in rural & remote areas

7 National Laws & Policies The Constitution accords universal rights to all citizens of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago of which the elderly populace are a meaningful part The Homes for Older Persons Act and Regulations seek to protect and to ensure that an older person s right to liberty, life, equality of treatment and enjoyment of property are not being infringed while they are living in a Home for Older Persons A manager, a licensee or employee of a Home, who has in his care an older person, is guilty of the offence of abuse where he willfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects; or exposes an older person to be assaulted, ill-treated or neglected

8 Nat l Laws & Policies (cont d) A person who is guilty of abusing an older person in a Home is liable on conviction to (i) a fine of $25, and imprisonment for 2 years (summary offence); or (ii) a fine of $50, and imprisonment for 5 years (indictable offence) The Ministry of Housing currently offers two (2) home improvement programmes designed to assist persons who wish to do improvement works to their home and need financial assistance (i) the home improvement grant of up to TT$15,000.00; and (ii) the home improvement subsidy provides a dollar for dollar matching subsidy of up to TT$20,000.00

9 Challenges Other competing social issues on the national agenda such as crime, poverty, narco-trafficking & HIV/AIDS Recruitment of competent staff due high turnover Central Statistical Office is beset with lack of funding, inadequate staffing & resources Single source of demographic data is Population & Housing Census every 10 yrs, thus creating structural lag in ageing response Resultant over-reliance on foreign data sources which approximate trends & lack cultural determinism Insufficient networking between line Ministries & Tobago

10 Challenges (cont d) Inordinate delay in the proclamation of legislation on Homes due to changes in political directorate Retirement of senior public officers compromises institutional memory due lack of succession planning Tardy response to resolution of elderly clients issues Increased demand in homecare services vs dearth of caregivers trained in geriatric care More males needed as caregivers & users of senior centres Degree programs in gerontology and geriatric care not offered in the region

11 Recommendations Explore intergenerational approaches such as volunteerism for school-aged children at Homes and care facilities for the elderly Training in homecare services for the able-bodied young-old Use of novel/diverse cultural approaches such as folklore in public education campaign to promote positive imaging of ageing Promote strengthening of family care to highlight the negative impact of changing family structures on the elderly Accreditation and standardization of caregiving training courses at local/regional educational institutions

12 Recommendations (cont d) Advocacy through community caravans & expert panel discussions to include older persons/ageing issues in parallel policy initiatives Establishment of Policy Implementation Unit (combine the resources of research/project mgmt/m&e) in DOA More collaborative response to elder abuse cases reported Revamping of the Senior Citizens Bureau to utilize skills/expertise of older persons via website/online database, to link seniors with employment opportunities Establishment of Residential Long-term Care Facilities Promote the effect of climate change on older persons

13 Conclusion Research/M&E must be the driver of programmes NPAA to mainstream ageing across national policies Advocacy with interest groups to ensure buy-in Older persons must be acknowledged as a resource instead of a burden on state resources Intergenerational approaches must be culture-sensitive to capture plurality of T&T Omnibus legislation required to protect the elderly who reside in communities Formulation of policy & legislation specific to the elderly

14 THANK YOU!